PoliticsThe WeekThe Trump administration reportedly quietly funded Operation Warp Speed with money set aside for hospitals
Congress granted the HHS permission to move pandemic-related money between accounts, though the agreement stipulated the agency had to give lawmakers a heads up. Former Office of Management and Director Russ Vought defended the decision and said "we would do it again," telling Stat that not only did the administration have the authority, it was also "the right thing to do in order to move as quickly as possible because lives were on the line." Other Trump officials seemed to agree, per Stat, arguing that successful vaccines would reduce hospitalizations, making Warp Speed the more consequential outlet.
U.S.NBC NewsMom reports 6-year-old missing, but police say she ran him over and threw him in the Ohio River
When Brittney Gosney reported her 6-year-old son missing to Ohio police on Sunday, officers had no idea how the story would change later that day. In a matter of hours, the case of a missing child became a homicide investigation. Authorities were sent to the Ohio River, where James Robert Hutchinson's body was dumped.
ScienceAxiosScientists discover a strange comet among asteroids near Jupiter
For the first time, scientists have found a comet near a population of asteroids orbiting the Sun alongside Jupiter. Why it matters: It's possible scientists have found a "pit stop" that other comets may take on their way to the inner solar system from farther afield, according to NASA. The big picture: The comet โ named P/2019 LD2 โ was discovered not far from a population of asteroids near Jupiter known as Trojans, the new study detailing the finding in the Astronomical Journal says.
PoliticsThe IndependentMerrick Garland could be confirmed as Bidenโs attorney general this week
Merrick Garland could be confirmed as the next US attorney general as early as this week, after the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced his nomination for consideration before the full chamber by a bipartisan 15-7 vote. Mr Garland has breezed through his nomination process with the Senate Democratic majority controlling committee gavels. The longtime DC Circuit Court judge's ascent to the top spot in Justice Department leadership has been welcomed by Democrats and even some Republicans as a welcome change from the tumult of the Donald Trump years.
WorldAssociated PressChinese vaccines sweep much of the world, despite concerns
The plane laden with vaccines had just rolled to a stop at Santiago's airport in late January, and Chile's president, Sebastiรกn Piรฑera, was beaming. The source of that hope: China โ a country that Chile and dozens of other nations are depending on to help rescue them from the COVID-19 pandemic. China's vaccine diplomacy campaign has been a surprising success: It has pledged roughly half a billion doses of its vaccine to more than 45 countries, according to a country-by-country tally by The Associated Press.
U.S.The WeekWealthy alumni demand University of Texas defy 'cancel culture' and defend racist school song
Wealthy alumni are threatening to pull their donations from the University of Texas at Austin because students have been protesting the university's controversial alma mater song, The Texas Tribune reports. "The Eyes of Texas," which plays after football games, is a cherished tradition for many, but it was historically performed at campus minstrel shows, and the title is linked to a saying from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. It appears, however, many donors consider the movement to be the product of "cancel culture" and "Marxist ideology," and emails obtained by the Tribune show they're willing to pull their financial support for the university over the issue.
WorldReutersCanada vaccine committee advises against use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 shots for 65 years and above
Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization released new guidelines on Monday that advise against vaccinating people who are 65 years and older with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, citing lack of information about efficacy in that age group. The vaccine was authorized for people who are 18 and older by drug regulator Health Canada on Friday. Health Canada's decision noted that available clinical trial data was too limited to reliably estimate how well the vaccine worked in people 65 and older.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump teases a 2024 run and commands GOP loyalty to his holy name in first signature post-presidency speech
It's been nearly six weeks since Donald Trump left the White House and appeared before a crowd to deliver a speech. And while the former Republican president was over an hour late on Sunday for his keynote remarks at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, he picked up right where he left off when he departed Washington, DC on 20 January. In a characteristically chaotic address that lasted roughly 90 minutes, Mr Trump teased a possible bid for president in 2024, repeatedly refused to acknowledge Joe Biden as his rightfully elected successor, and railed against the Biden administration's opening act on everything from immigration to gas and energy polic...
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramโPoaching spreeโ gets man banned from hunting in 48 states, Colorado officials say
A Colorado man will never be able to legally hunt again in 48 states after pleading guilty to poaching more than a dozen animals, officials said. Iniki Vike Kapu, 28, was accused of killing a dozen deer, two turkeys and a bighorn sheep ram in several counties in Colorado, the state's Parks and Wildlife department said in a Monday news release. His hunting privileges have been permanently suspended everywhere in the U.S. except Hawaii and Massachusetts.
PoliticsArchitectural DigestHouse Call: Cue the Waterworks and Welcome to March
Zoรซ's newsletter comes to a web page near you, and the theme of the day is damp Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.The StateTourist found dead in ocean after going missing during Hawaii hike, officials say
The body of a missing hiker was found over the weekend off the coast of Hawaii, officials in Maui said. Angelo Ruiz, 27, of New Mexico was found dead Sunday about 50 yards from shore and near a waterfall that enters the ocean, KHON2 reported, citing Maui police. On Saturday afternoon, Ruiz and another male hiker were reported missing while on the Waikamoi trail in East Maui, the Maui Fire Department said in a social media post.
PoliticsThe IndependentMyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has mic muted at CPAC for spouting vaccine and election conspiracies
MyPillow's outspoken Trump-supporting chief executive was censored during an interview at CPAC โ an event branded โAmerica Uncanceledโ โ after he launched into conspiracy theories linking the coronavirus vaccine with the devil. Mike Lindell was speaking on Sunday to Liz Willis, the host of conservative YouTube channel Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN), when he delivered a somewhat meandering set of conspiracy theories relating to the pandemic, the presidential election and Israel. โIn Israel right now, from the prime minister on down, we don't know what happened, but obviously, he congratulated Biden, but after that, we got a little suspect,โ Mr Lindell said during the segment that was edited out by RSBN on their YouTube channel.
PoliticsBusiness Insider10 Senate Democrats tell Biden to implement recurring stimulus checks after $1.9 trillion bill is passed
Ten US senators are calling for President Joe Biden to support regular direct payments. A group of senior Democrats are calling for President Joe Biden to support regular direct payments to low-income Americans while the US economy recovers from the pandemic. Insider obtained a copy of the letter that's being sent to the White House, led by Democrats chairing key economic committees in the Senate.
U.S.The IndependentMitt Romney knocked unconscious and needed stitches after weekend fall
Utah senator Mitt Romney says he โtook a fallโ while visiting his grandkids in Boston over the weekend, knocking him unconscious and sending him to the hospital. Sen @MittRomney has a black eye and stitches, says he took a fall while visiting his son in Boston, โI took a fall, knocked me unconscious but I'm doing better.โ Joked: โI went to CPAC, that was a problem...โ
WorldBusiness InsiderBiden refused to sanction MBS over Khashoggi's murder because he doesn't want his relationship with Saudi Arabia to get worse, officials say
A newly declassified US intel report said the Saudi crown prince approved Jamal Khashoggi's killing. Joe Biden announced new sanctions over the murder but has declined to punish the crown prince. A US official told The Washington Post it's because Biden wanted to heal the US-Saudi relationship.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverโMorally compromised.โ Why one archdiocese urges Catholics to avoid newest COVID vaccine
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has advised Catholics against receiving the new Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, calling the one-dose shot โmorally compromised. In a statement Friday, the religious organization said the new vaccine should be avoided due to its link to an โabortion-derived cell lineโ used in the vaccine's development and production phases. But the available vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are โmorally acceptable,โ the archdiocese wrote, because only some lab testing utilized stem cells from aborted fetuses, making their connection to abortion โextremely remote.
- HealthYahoo News Video
CDC's Walensky concerned about decline in COVID-19 cases and deaths stalling
At the White House COVID-19 response team briefing on Monday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky expressed concern about a leveling off of the decline in weekly coronavirus cases.
U.S.NextSharkAustralian Man Films Himself Racially Abusing Asian Woman on Sydney Train
An Australian amateur rapper caused outrage online after sharing a now-deleted video of his confrontation with an Asian woman on a Sydney train last weekend. ๏ปฟThe rapper Fleks City, also known as Torian Agnew, hurled racial insults at a train passenger and referred to her as a โpeasantโ during his rant, according to MailOnline.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramโMonsterโ 1,000-pound bluefin tuna snagged by father-son duo off the Outer Banks
A father and son from Virginia are credited with unofficially besting North Carolina's bluefin tuna record, with a โmonsterโ catch estimated at 1,000 pounds. Josiah VanFleet and his son, Zeke, were 45 miles off the Outer Banks on Feb. 24 when they hooked the fish at about 8:15 a.m., according to a video posted on YouTube. The fish was so powerful that it took the crew 2.5 hours to reel it in, then another 2 hours to get it in the boat, the video notes.
PoliticsThe IndependentFact-checking the wildest claims from Trumpโs CPAC speech
As state electors, Congress, over 60 unsuccessful lawsuits, Trump administration officials like former attorney William Barr, and even many (but certainly not all) state-level Republican officials have confirmed, Joe Biden won the election fair and square. The ex-president also blamed a litany of factors for his loss, from dead voters being counted to new mail-in ballot expansions during the pandemic. The Democrats used the China virus as an excuse to change all of the election rules, without the approval of their state legislators, making it therefore illegal.
PoliticsBusiness Insider10 hours in Cancรบn hurt Ted Cruz's job approval more than when he tried to flip the presidential election
GOP Sen. Ted Cruz drew national ire after he attempted to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election, but according to a new poll from Morning Consult, his overall job approval from Texans was hurt far more when he vacationed in Cancรบn during a winter storm that left much of Texas without power or water for days. According to polling conducted between February 18-28, Cruz's net approval rating dropped from +6 to -5 in the weeks following his Cancรบn excursion. A net approval rating is calculated by subtracting the share of disapproving Texan voters from the share of voters that approve of Cruz.
PoliticsUSA TODAY OpinionFor Andrew Cuomo, there can be no sexual harassment double standard. He should resign.
There is no place for sexual harassment or abuse of power in any American workplace โ be it in business or politics. No one, no matter where they work or what they do, should be subject to harassment or hostility from a co-worker, and especially not from someone in a position of power. No leader in a position of power can maintain their legitimacy under the kind of suspicion and allegations that have been leveled against Gov.ย Cuomo.
U.S.Tribune PublishingWith unusual speed, State Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal of ex-Minneapolis officer Noor's third degree murder conviction, which has implications on Chauvin trial
The state Supreme Court agreed Monday with unusual speed to hear former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor's appeal of his third-degree murder conviction. Noor's lawyer Thomas Plunkett filed a petition last Thursday, asking the court to hear the case. It is extremely rare for the court to grant review so quickly but the charge Noor appealed has implications in the case against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer set to go on trial in Hennepin County District Court on Monday in the death of George Floyd.
PoliticsTheGrioBidenโs top aide says White House will โstart acting nowโ on reparations for African Americans
This week, President Joe Biden's senior advisor, Cedric Richmond, confirmed that the White House plans โto start acting nowโ on reparations for African-American citizens. Richmond made the stunning admission to journalistย Mike Allenย during Sunday evening's broadcast ofย Axios on HBO. In the interview, the former Louisiana lawmaker explained to Allen that Biden remains consistent in his support of H.R. 40, the House of Representatives bill that received a Congressional hearing last month, that would look into the issue of reparations.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderRep. Adam Kinzinger tore into Sen. Josh Hawley for his 'smug' CPAC speech, saying 5 people died because of 'what you did'
Rep. Adam Kinzinger ripped into Sen. Josh Hawley for his "smug" CPAC speech. "All you had to do was see Josh Hawley's smug face at CPAC," Kinzinger said on CNN's "New Day." Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois tore into his Senate colleague Josh Hawley on Tuesday over the latter's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
โHow about we skip โhe wonโt winโ cycle and not do 2016 all over again. Trump can absolutely win another presidential election.โ
โWith independents deserting him, there is simply no path for Trump to get back into the White House โ except as a tourist.โ
โThey might as well cancel the 2024 primaries...because there is no way he can lose.โ
โThe next Republican presidential primary will be heavily shaped by Trump โ whether or not he decides to run again.โ
โDonald Trump will not be running for president again. He will, however, continue to tease the possibility of a 2024 run.โ